


Operation Step-Steve

by KatieComma



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Gracie is a schemer, Idiots in Love, M/M, New Years, Pining, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22081519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma
Summary: Gracie convinces Danny that it's a good idea to kiss Steve at midnight on New Years.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 26
Kudos: 309





	Operation Step-Steve

**Author's Note:**

> So... this happened... a day late... oh well... enjoy!
> 
> Happy New Year!

It’s getting close to midnight and Danny’s palms are sweating. He feels like a kid, nervous like he hasn’t been since he was a teenager and kissed Michelle Kaplan on their first date.

And it’s Gracie’s fault.

“Five minutes to go!” She says with her arm around Will as she sends a wink Danny’s way.

Gracie’s back for the holidays, heading back in only a few days time, back to college. So Danny wants to spend as much time as possible with her. Which is why he agreed to have Will over for New Years. Because, surprisingly, they’re still together, doing the long distance thing. And Grace was determined to spend New Years Eve with Will no matter what.

So here they are, in Danny’s house, watching the countdown on TV and waiting to ring in 2020. Danny, Grace, Will, and Steve.

Charlie tried to make it, and had made a good showing, falling asleep on the couch at 10:48. At which point Steve carried him off to his room and put him to bed. Danny had protested that she should carry his own kid, but Steve had countered with: “your bad knee Danny, it’s fine, I’ve got it.”

So the four of them are standing in the living room, just waiting, and Danny’s palms are sweating by the minute while Grace keeps shooting him obvious looks.

And she’s shooting him those obvious looks because of a conversation between them earlier that day while they were swimming at Steve’s place. Steve had ducked inside to grab a drink for Charlie.

“Ok, so, listen Danno,” Gracie had come to sit by him and kept her voice low whispers. “Tonight is the perfect opportunity.”

“For what?” Danny asked, wiggling his toes in the grass and enjoying the breeze off the ocean.

“To kick off operation Step-Steve,” she said conspiratorially. “Now-”

“Operation what?” Danny asked, startled.

“Step-Steve,” she repeated, “keep up! So, tonight at midnight: perfect opportunity. I know usually I’m there for you to kiss on the cheek at midnight. But tonight Will is going to be there. So you can kiss Steve instead of me. It’s the perfect excuse.”

“Listen monkey I don’t know what-”

“Danno,” she whined, “listen up. I’m tired of it. You and Steve act like you’re married already anyway, and you should see the way you guys look at each other when you think the other one isn’t looking. It’s almost pornographic.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about you even knowing that word,” Danny said.

“I’m in college now,” she said, “I know lots of inappropriate words that I will never utter near you.”

“Thank you for that,” Danny sighed.

“So long as you agree to go for it tonight,” she said.

“Gracie, I think you’re just seeing something that isn’t there,” Danny said.

Grace shook her head. “I’ve been watching it for 10 years dad,” she said, “plus I talked to Kono about it.”

Just when Danny was going to ask exactly when Grace and Kono had found the time to gossip about him and Steve, the man himself returned with a drink for Charlie.

And ever since that conversation Gracie has been shooting him looks all day. Winking and gesturing and generally being way too obvious about the whole thing.

But somewhere along the way she seems to have changed his mind, because his palms are sweaty like he’s actually thinking it’s a good idea. And he opened his eyes a little bit throughout the day and thinks he might have caught one of those looks she was talking about, when he turned around to find Steve staring fondly at him.

“Ten, nine, eight…” Grace, Will and Steve start to chant together.

Steve looks over at Danny with that big wide sloppy grin on his face; the grin he wears when he’s happy for no reason and has forgotten all of the shitty things that have come before in his life.

And considering that his mother just died and it’s been one of the worst years of Steve’s entire life, Danny’s more than happy to see that smile.

“Five, four, three…”

And now Danny’s panicking because maybe this is a terrible idea. Steve’s finally getting happy again, and Danny’s going to just put that at risk because he has a hunch and is having a sudden realization that he’s in love with his best friend.

“Two, one. Happy New Year!” They all shout together, even Danny.

Will and Grace lean together and kiss, and thank god it’s tame and close-lipped. Her arms loop loosely around his neck and they look like they’re in love. And Danny’s heart swells.

He glances over at Steve, who’s still grinning like an idiot. Steve meets Danny’s eye and shrugs.

And then Steve’s leaning in, and their lips meet and Danny just relaxes into it. All the tension he had stored up escapes from his body in a little sigh that opens his lips. Which Steve takes as an invitation and sneaks the tip of his tongue between Danny’s lips.

Danny’s body is suddenly on fire, and a small cough from across the room reminds him that they’re not alone.

But he doesn’t jump back like he’s guilty of something. Instead Steve takes his tongue back, and they part with a soft sound, pressing their foreheads together before they look over at the kids.

Somehow, and Danny isn’t sure exactly when, or how, him and Steve ended up with their arms around each other.

“I totally deserve a glass of champagne for that,” Grace says.

“You’re definitely not old enough for champagne,” Danny says.

“Come on Danno,” she whines. “Just one glass.”

“Come on Danno,” Steve says, and his mouth is near Danny’s cheek. “Just one glass.”

“Oh great! Now you’re teaming up on me,” Danny says, but there’s no heat in it.

“We’ve been teaming up on you for years,” Grace scoffs. She breaks away from Will and runs to grab the bottle of champagne from the kitchen.

Steve’s arms are still around Danny, like he’s afraid to let him go.

“I’ll just go... Help…” Will says awkwardly, his grin so wide it looks like it might break his face.

“Just let her have one glass,” Steve says, his lips getting closer to Danny’s again. “She’s the one that convinced me I should kiss you. I think she deserves it.”

Danny pushes back a little, not out of Steve’s embrace, but just to look into his eyes. “She convinced _you_? What are you talking about? No, no, no, she convinced _me_ I should kiss _you_.”

“But I kissed you,” Steve argues.

“Well… I was working up to it,” Danny says.

“Gracie talked to me today when we were on the beach,” Steve says, “told me to kiss you at midnight.”

“Oh that little scheming…” Danny trails off, but he can’t really be mad. “And for the record I _was_ going to kiss you.”

“But I beat you to it,” Steve says.

“To-may-to, to-mah-to,” Grace says as she returns with the bottle. “You kissed. What does it matter who kissed who?”

“For the record,” Steve says, “I kissed him. Now give me that and let’s go outside.” Steve reluctantly lets go of Danny, takes the bottle and they head out to the yard.

Danny and Grace grab four champagne flutes from the kitchen and meet Will and Steve outside. “Don’t tell your mother,” Danny whispers to her as they set the glasses on the table and wait.

The sky is full of fireworks. Cheers and party horns can be heard echoing around the neighbourhood.

Steve is all set to pop the cork when Grace interrupts. “Can you show me Uncle Steve?”

Steve stands next to Grace, and teaches her how to safely launch the cork off into the yard with a soft squeak and pop. The champagne starts to rush out and she holds it over the glasses on the table, filling them each with bubbling liquid.

It’s such a perfect moment between a father and a daughter. Because really, that’s what Steve’s been to Gracie for years now. That damn graduation slideshow Rachel made had more pictures of Steve and Grace than it did Danny. And Grace has learned so much from Steve, taken so many of his good qualities and strived for them in her life. Danny almost feels teary eyed at the revelation. Sure, Steve has lost most of his family, but he has a new one.

Grace picks up two of the flutes, handing one to Will. Steve brings the other two.

“Get over here you schmuck,” Danny says, grabbing one of the glasses from Steve.

Steve stands at his side, a hand sliding around to Danny’s lower back and sitting comfortably there. Danny returns the favour.

“To new beginnings,” Grace says, holding up her glass, “and to idiots in love.”

Danny narrows his eyes a little, but clinks his glasses with everyone else. They sip at the sweet liquor, Steve throwing his head back and downing the glass in one go; he’s never one to do things halfway.

Grace screeches. “They’re replaying the BTS song!” She runs into the house to catch more of the Times Square coverage they've been watching on TV.

Will follows behind her, leaving Steve and Danny alone on the lanai.

Steve moves in closer, pressing his forehead to Danny’s. The smell of champagne is sweet on their breath.

“Are we really doing this?” Danny asks.

Steve kisses him again in answer, and this time with no one watching, Danny opens his mouth all the way and almost drops his glass with how good it feels to have Steve’s tongue in his mouth. They kiss like that, slow but needy, on the edge of passionate, for an indeterminate amount of time. Steve tastes like the sweet, cheap champagne Danny bought and it’s tart on his tongue.

When they finally break apart they’re both panting.

“I’m not sleeping on the couch tonight,” Steve says.

“Never again,” Danny replies before reeling him back in for another kiss.


End file.
